You can tell a lot about a person by how they view libertarians

Often, the way people view me says more about them than it does about me.

For example, it’s a pretty good bet that if someone calls me a, “right-winger,” they are most likely a left-winger.

Likewise, the only people who call me a, “left-winger,” are usually right-wingers.

People who automatically think I’m an anarchist are usually people who love big government. And people who think I’m not anarchist enough — well only anarchists would ever say that.

Whenever people tell me that I read too many books, I automatically assume they don’t read many books at all.

And people who think I’m naive usually put way too much trust in government.

People who believe that my views are too cold and unfeeling are usually the type of people who form their worldview based on emotion.

People who say libertarians just, “want to smoke pot all day,” are usually quite tolerant of the government breaking into people’s homes and throwing them in jail over a trace of weed.

People who say libertarians don’t care about the environment are usually the kind of people who put the environment above every other issue in the world no matter what. The fact that I am even writing this politically incorrect sentence probably gives fodder to attack me for suggesting that there may be a better way to think about environmentalism.

Speaking of which, people who think I should be more politically correct are usually too politically correct.

And whenever people assume I don’t care about the poor, I usually assume they do not give much money to charity. After all, if people believe the government is taking care of the poor, why should they contribute anything?

People who think I obsess too much about liberty usually take their own liberty for granted.

And people who label me a Utopian are usually very Utopian themselves.

And people who believe libertarians will never be politically viable are usually people who care a bit too much about politics.

But people who say libertarians will never ever make a difference are usually people who don’t realize how much libertarians have already changed the world so far.